Magnetic gradiometer



April 27, 194s. C, H. PAY 2,440,503

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MAGNET I C GRADIOMETER Filed Jan, ll, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hdmholz Coils Patented Apr. 27, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-'ts MAGNETiC GRADIOMETER Charles H. Fay, Houston, Tex., assignor to Shell Development Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application January 11, 1945, Serial No. 572,278

4 Claims. (Cl. 175-183) This invention pertains to the art of magnetic of my copending applications Ser. No. 514,581,

flied December 15, 1943, now Patent No. 2,425,180, and Ser. No. 569,819, filed December 26, 1944.

While magnetometers such, for example, as the Schmidt vertical magnetometer, can be used successfully to detect such bodies through the magnetic effects exerted thereby, their use is extremely time-consuming because of the orientation and precise leveling required at each of a relatively large number of stations. It is obvious from the fact that the normal field of the earth has a negligible gradient compared to that produced by a body susceptible of location by magnetic means, that a magnetic gradiometer is more suitable for locating such objects. For an instrument measuring the vertical gradient of the vertical component of the field, for example, no orientation and only rough leveling such as can be obtained by suspending the instrument from a suitable support is required for all but' the most precise work, so that continuous observation by an operator walking with the instrument will usually sumce.

In my copending application Ser. No. 569,819,l filed December 26, 1944, I have disclosed a device for measuring magnetic fields, said device comprising a vibrator coil, an optical system and photocell arranged to transfonn the displacement of -said vibrator into a voltage, an amplifier to amplify said voltage, a set of Helmholtz coils arranged to reduce the total field component at the vibrator to a value just permitting oscilla-4 tion of the system as a feedback oscillator, the adjustment of the direct current in said Helmholtz coils being effected manually or, where preferable, automatically, as disclosed in said application, said direct current or 'changes in said current from its value being measured, if desired,

at a base station. V

It is the object of the present invention to provide a system which combines two vibratorsl and associated sets of Helmholtz coils to measure the dierence between values of a component of the external magnetic field at the said vibrators, said difference divided by the distance bef tween vibrators being the gradient in the direction of the line between vibrators oi the saidA component. For simplicity, this system will be described herein with regard to an arrangement suitable for measuring the verticalgradient. of.

the vertical component of the magnetic field, but

2 nothing herein shall be held to limit the invention as regards obvious modification to measure the same or other gradients of other ory the same components.

This and other objects of the present invention will be understood from the following description taken with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a diagram schematically showing an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagram of a modified embodiment of the invention; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams of other modified embodiments of the invention.

' 'Referring to Fig. 1, light train means comprising a light source I, a vibrator 2, provided with a mirror 2a, a` photocell han amplifier l, a power amplifier 5, Helmholtz current control 6 provided with means for rectifying the amplified alternating current received, and Helmholtz coils 1 function after the manner described in my copending application Ser. No. 514,581, now Patent No. 2,425,180 and copending 'application Ser. No. 569,819. Details of a circuit suitable for Helmholtz current control 6 are shown inl Fig. 2 of application Ser. No. 569,819. A second-vibrator l provided with a mirror 8a, impinged upon by light from a source I3, is connected in series with vibrator 2 so that said second vibrator is also driven by power amplifier 5. This requiresV that for optimum performance both vibrators have the same natural frequency. Helmholtz coils 9 associated with vibrator 8 are connected in series with Helmholtz coils l. A resistance network comprising resistor I0, variable resistor. voltage divider or potentiometer Il, and resistor I2 are provided to permit adjustment over a small range of the ratio of the current in Helmholtz coils l to that in Helmholtz coils 9, as shown in the drawing. The light source I3, photocell I 4, amplifier I5, and output meter l serve to measure the amplitude of vibration of vibrator 8, as explained in the copending applications referred to hereinabove.

The upper and lower Helmholtz coil and vibrator systems are mounted on a common frame, not shown in the drawing, provided with conventional means, for adjusting the orientation of the upper system relative to the lower.

For simplicity, let us consider the operation when potentiometer I I is set to equalize the Helmholtz fields. As will be understood from my copending application Ser. No. 569,819, the operation of the lower` system automatically adjusts the total field component, that is, theresultant of the effective Helmholtz ileld component and of the eective earth field component, necessary of 41I) gammas (10*4 oersteds), although for the purposes oi the present invention it may be possible to make it of the order oi' 100 gammes (10-3 oersteds) in order to increase the stability of the output of power amplifier in locations subject to vibration. The ield component actuating vibrator 2 will therefore be assumed 'to be 100 gammes (n3 oersteds) When the vertical component of the external field is the same at vibrator 8 as at vibrator 2, vibrator 8 will also be actuated by a neld oi 100 gammes, and its amplitude (and hence the reading of output meter I8, which is, assuming constant power output of power ampliiler 5, proportional to the neld actuating vibral tor 8) will correspond to 100 gammes, if the upper potentiometer il, the upper iield component actuating vibrator 8 can be made zero when the gradient is zero, if desired. Resistor or potentiometer Ican be calibrated to check the gradient scale value oi' output meter I8 and to extend the range, as well as to check the sign of the gradient.

Adjustment oi the relative positions of the Helmholtz coil and vibrator systems can be made in a place oi. negligible gradient by taking readings with the instrument at diiierent orientations about a vertical axis and making adjustments until the same reading 'is obtained at all such orientations.

Strictly speaking, the instrument of Fig. 1 is not free from total eld sensitivity, since the amplitude of oscillation and hence the output oi power amplier 5 depends on the external neld component at vibrator 2, and hence the driving current for vibrator 8 is aected by changes in total field. In practice, however, this means only that a somewhat more accurate leveling of the instrument is required.

In the modification of the present invention diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2, veach system operates to control its own Helmholtz current, the resistance network comprising resistors |01, |08 and variable resistor or rheostat |08 and the sensitive galvanometer I|0 serving to measure the difference in Helmholtz currents and thus the diierenice in fleld components at the vibrators. It is understood that the sensitivity of galvanometer I0 may be increased by using it in combination with a direct current ampliiler. Said meter may be mounted midway between the two vibrators, so that the effect of its il'eld is the same on both. Rheostat |09 may be used for zer adjustment and for calibration.

A third modification which permits the use of an` ordinary milliammeter as the indicating device is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen that Helmholtz coils 1 and 8 are so connected with regard to resistors 200, 202, and variable resistor or rheostat 203 that one of the two vibrator systems, for example the upper system, adjusts both its own and most of the lower system's Helmholtz current; the range of current adjustment of which the other Helmholtz current control, for example control 6, is capable is available for making the difference in Helmholtz cur-2 rent between the two systems required by the diierence in external neld component between them. By making the resistance oi resistor 200 sumciently small in comparison to that of resistor 20| the full scale reading or milliammeter |20 can be made to represent as small a difference in field between vibrators as is desired. Rheostat 208 may be used for zero adjustment and calibration. I! the meter zero is taken as the gradient zero, only one sign ofy gradient, that is, only changes oi gradient in one direction, can be measured. This limitation can be overcome by obvious switching'means interchanging in eifect the upper and lower systems, if desired, but it is simpler to adjust the gradient zeroto correspond to about one-third full scale on the meter for the most sensitive scale, it being understood that diiIerent scale ranges can be obtained by switching to diiierent values of resistors 200 and 20| while preferably keeping their sum constant.

Fig. 4 shows a further modification of the present system, wherein the total current for the upper and lower Helmholtz coils is provided by one oi the current controls, for example, the upper current control |08, whereas the lower current control 200 supplies current to additional Helmholtz coils 10, positioned about the lower oscillating coil to create an additional artificial field for said coil, thereby modifying the eifect thereon of the neld created by the Helmholtz coils 1. A inetei 2I0 is used to indicate the current used to produce this additional field. Permanent magnets may likewise be used to modify the magnetic iield in which the coils ,2 and 8 are oscillating, in the manner disclosed in my copending application Serial No, 569,819.

It is understood that the zero adjustments provided in the vthree embodiments with regard to which the present invention has been described permit correction ior inequality in mechanical dimensions of the sets of Helmholtz coils and for diierences in orientation of sets oi' Helmholtz coils relative to vibrators.

I claim as my invention:

l. A system for measuring the gradient of a magnetic field, comprising rst andrsecond coils spaced from each other. means pivoting said coils for independent oscillation in said field, light source means, iirst and second photo-electric elements, optical means carried by said pivoted coils for varying the illumination of said photoelectric elements whereby the output current of said elements is varied proportionally to the oscillation oi! said pivotal coils, ampliiier means energized by the outputs of said photo-electric elements, controlled rectifier means in circuit with said ampliiier means for rectifying a portion of the output current of said amplifier means, Helmholtz coil means mounted coaxially with the pivoted coils in planes parallel and adjacent thereto. said Helmholtz coil means being energized by the direct current output ot said rectifier means for neutralizing the magnetic iield in which the pivoted coils oscillate, means in circuit with the amplifier means and said pivoted coils for passing through said pivoted coils the non-rectiiied portion of the loutput current of the amplifier means, and indicating means in circuit with said ampliiier means for comparing the strength of the magneticeids produced at the location of each of said pivoted coils as a resultan't of said magnetic iield and the neutralizing neld of. the Helmholtz coil means.

2. A system for measuring the gradient of a magneticeld, comprising first and second coils spaced from each other, means pivoting said light source means, rst and second photoelectric elements, iirst and second optical means carried by said rst and second pivoted coils for varying the illumination of said rst and second photo-electric elements respectively, whereby the output current of said elements is varied propoli,- tionally to the oscillation of said pivoted coils. ilrst and second amplier means energized by the outputs o said first and second ,photo-electric elements respectively, rst and second controlled nected between said first and second pivoted coils and said lrst and second ampliiier means respectively for passing through said pivoted coils a non-rectied portion of the output current of said amplier means, adjustable resistance means in said parallel circuit means for adjusting the relative intensities of the currents passed through said first and said second Helmholtz coil means, and indicating means in said parallel circuit means for indicating the relative intensities of the currents passed through said first and second Helmholtz coil means when said pivoted coils are just maintained in a condition of oscillation by the reaction of the current passed therethrough with the eld produced at the location of each/pivoted coil as a. resultant of the magnetic eld being measured and the neutralizing ield of the Helmholtz coil means.

3. A system for measuring the gradient of a magnetic field, comprising first and second coils spaced fromveach other, means pivoting said coils for independent oscillation in said `field, light source means, ilrst and second photo-electric elements, iirst and second optical means carried by said first and second pivoted coils for varying the illumination of said first and second photo-electric elements respectively, whereby the output current of said elements is varied proportionally to the oscillation of said pivoted coils, first and second amplifier means energized by the outputs of said rst and second photo-electric elements respectively, ilrst and second controlled rectiiler means in circuit with said first and second ampliiler means respectively for rectifying a portion oi.' each oi. said amplifier means, ilrst and second Helmholtz coil means mounted coaxially with said iirst and second pivoted coils respectively in planes parallel and adjacent thereto, circuit means connecting said ilrst and second Helmholtz coil means in series to the output terminals oi' one of said .rectifier means, branch circuit means connecting said second Helmholtz coil indicating the relative values of the currents passing through said rst and second Helmholtz coil means when said pivoted coils are just maintained in a condition of oscillation by the reaction of the current passing therethrough with the magnetic iield produced at the location of each pivoted coil as a resultant of the magnetic field being measured and the eld o! the Helmholtz coil means.

4. A system for measuring the gradient of a magnetic field, comprising rst and second coils spaced from each other, means pivoting said coils -for independent oscillation in said field, light means tothe output terminals of the other recpivoted coils a non-rectified portion of the output current of said amplifier means, variable resistance means in said branch circuit for adjusting the relative values of the current passing through said iirst and said second Helmholtz coil means. and indicating means in said branch circuit for` source means, iirst and second photo-electric elements, first and second optical means carried by said rst and second pivoted coils for varying the illumination of said first and second photo-electric elements respectively, whereby the output current of said elements is varied proportionally to the oscillation of said pivoted coils, first and second amplifier means energized by the outputs of said rst and second photo-electric elements respectively, nrst and second controlled rectler means in circuit with said iirst and second amplier means respectively for rectifying a portion of each oi said amplifier means, first and second Helmholtz coil means mounted coaxially with said rst and second pivoted coils respectively in planes parallel and adjacent thereto, third Helmholtz coil'means mounted coaxially with one of said pivoted coils in planes parallel and adjacent thereto, circuit means connecting said nrst and second Helmholtz coil means in series to the output terminals of one of said rectifier means, branch circuit means connecting said third Helmholtz coil means to the output terminals of the other rectier means, one of the output terminals of the ilrst rectiiier means being connected to one of the terminals of the second rectiiler means, conductor means connected between said first and second pivoted coils and said iirst and second ampliiier means respectively for passing through said pivoted coils a non-rectied portion of the output current of said amplifier means, and indicating means in said branch circuit means for indicating the intensity of the current passed through said third Helmholtz coil means when said pivoted coils are just maintained in a condition oi' oscillation by the reaction of the current passed therethrough with the magnetic neld produced at the location of each pivoted coilv as a resultant of the magnetic ileld being measured and the field of the Helmholtz coil means.

CHARLES n FAY REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

